NOT TONIGHT: Devils goalie Martin Brodeur knocks away a shot during a 2-0 win over the Panthers last night in Newark. It was Brodeur's fifth shutout in 14 games.Getty Images

The Jersey Juggernaut reopened for business, and put the emphasis on naught.

Their magical season starting to unravel, the Devils reverted to their fundamental identity, the shut-down, defensive style so many loathe — especially the opponents they beat that way.

As usual, it worked wonders. They banked on Martin Brodeur, who responded with his fifth shutout in 14 games, snapping their season-worst three-game losing streak with last night’s 2-0 triumph over the Panthers in Newark.

The Devils were shut out in their previous game, 4-0 by the Islanders at Nassau on Monday, for the second time in four, even while Brodeur was on his hot shutout run. On the other side, Florida’s Tomas Vokoun was coming off his fifth shutout of the year, a 1-0 triumph in Atlanta on Monday.

So it was no surprise that neither team scored in the opening 38 minutes, Brian Rolston coming closest in the first when Vokoun touched his blast off the left post.

Zajac broke up the scoreless duel at 18:30 of the second with his 14th, ending New Jersey’s drought of 116:34, back to Rob Niedermayer’s third-period goal in Denver Saturday. Zajac drove right wing for a circle slap between Vokoun’s pads on New Jersey’s 25th shot of the night. In his NHL debut, Devils winger Nick Palmieri picked up an assist on that goal.

“The puck was rolling, and you always want to shoot when it’s rolling. I have no clue where it’s going, so the goalie doesn’t know, either,” Zajac said of the shot nicked by Panther defenseman Bryan McCabe.

It was all Brodeur would need, thanks to Rostislav Olesz’s epic miss of an open net, and a strong waffle on Steven Reinprecht.

“When you’re not scoring a lot, you have to play well defensively. Usually, playing well defensively triggers your offense. That’s what we talked about, ‘Just be solid,’ ” Brodeur said.

There wasn’t much of a trigger, but it allowed the minimal scoring to suffice. It looked like so many Devils victories of old, and was a reminder of why there were so many Devils victories of old.

⇒Devils prospect Patrice Cormier faces a disciplinary hearing Monday for his blatant, lunging elbow that knocked junior Mikael Tam into convulsions Sunday. Cormier is suspended indefinitely from the Quebec league. . . . Rod Pelley was a late scratch for New Jersey with a lower body injury, and Ilkka Pikkarainen took his place. Vladimir Zharkov sat out with an lower body injury, perhaps a bruised heel, and with Patrik Elias idled with concussion, Palmieri and Patrick Davis were inserted, both called up from Lowell on Tuesday.

Dainius Zubrus skated with team yesterday morning, but isn’t expected to play until next week. He missed his 27th straight last night with a cracked kneecap. . . . The Devils lost to Panthers 4-2 in Newark on Dec. 11 after beating them 3-2 in Sunrise, Fla., Oct. 10. . . . The Canadiens visit Newark tomorrow and the Devils visit the Islanders on Saturday.